President Trump declares Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel

President Trump announced that the U.S embassy would move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama had all pledged the same action, but never followed through. In fact, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, calling for this to happen.

While the move could cause mass violence in the Middle East, it’s actually an issue that’s very much bipartisan in the U.S. Senate. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told theWeekly Standard on Tuesday that he, along with his colleagues, support the president on this policy.

“I believe that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, so to me, that’s not news,” Schumer said.

The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, acknowledging Jerusalem as “an undivided city” to “be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel,” overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate but became law without former Clinton’s signature. The move has been delayed every six months, Clinton, Bush, and Obama citing “security concerns” as the reason.